The Brick Show | Page 385 of 489 | LEGO News & Happenings

Create the Coolest Brick-Built Robot With LEGO Rebrick’s Superbot Contest.

No, this is not a Real Steel kind of contest where LEGO expects you to create the most awesome robot to pit against other robotic combatants. On the contrary, LEGO is calling on all LEGO Mindstorms fans (ages 13 and above) to show off their grandest, most ambitious, LEGO robotic creation to join in the search for the ultimate LEGO Rebrick Superbot.

Based primarily on the LEGO Mindstorms system (though not limited by it if you wish to submit entries later on), LEGO Rebrick’s Superbot contest challenges you to create the coolest, smartest, and most useful robot around using any existing Mindstorms set, or LEGO power functions. Take a video of your superbot (15-30 seconds) solving a dilemma or chore and send it to LEGO Rebrick on or before August 18, 2017 to get a chance of winning any of the following:

One (1) Grand Prize Winner

A trip for two to LEGO World Copenhagen 2018 in February, including transportation and hotel room stay
31313 MINDSTORMS EV3 signed by a LEGO MINDSTORMS designer
A LEGO MINDSTORMS T-shirt

Two (2) Runner-Ups

31313 MINDSTORMS EV3 signed by a LEGO MINDSTORMS designer
A LEGO MINDSTORMS T-shirt

Three (3) Bonus Winners

A LEGO Notebook and brick key chain
A LEGO MINDSTORMS t-shirt

Here’s the rest of most important Contest Rules and Description. You may visit LEGO Rebrick’s contest page to see the full details, and to view other entries.

LEGO Rebrick’s Superbots

Contest Description

Show us what makes your LEGO robot a SuperBot in a short video– and what dilemma, challenge, or chore it rescues you from! The greatest SuperBot will send his or her creator on a super-duper trip to LEGO World Copenhagen 2018!

Before you start please check out the entry guidelines and how to enter in the RULES.

Entry Deadline

Submit your entry no later than August 18th 2017 at 10:00AM EST.

Judging

A panel of judges from the LEGO MINDSTORMS team will select one grand prize winner and 2 runner-ups. They will judge entries upon:

Super-factor originality: 25%
Attention to contest theme: 25%
Innovative building technique and functions: 25%
Innovative use of LEGO elements: 25%

In addition, three bonus prize winners will be selected at random. See prizes for details.

How to Enter

Create a robot using LEGO bricks and your LEGO MINDSTORMS robot (EV3 or earlier model) or power functions to solve an everyday challenge of your choosing.
Create a video under 30 seconds showing your creation in action.
Upload your video to the video hosting site of your choice, such as YouTube.
Enter the contest by going to the “submit entry” page on LEGO Rebrick and submit maximum 5 screenshots from your video. Make sure to also add the link to your video before you submit.
Use the description field to describe your robot and its features.
When you receive a “Success!” pop-up notification after clicking “submit” on the entry submission page, your entry has successfully been submitted. Our moderation team will review it within 1-3 working days to make sure it fits all the contest rules.

So if you’re into LEGO robotics, and would like to earn the bragging rights to visit the LEGO World in Copenhagen plus an exclusive, designer-signed, LEGO Mindstorms EV3 (31313) set, then the LEGO Rebrick contest might just be the break that you’re waiting for.

Do you think you have what it takes to become a Superbot creator? Prove your mettle and pick up your bricks and join in the search for LEGO Rebrick’s Superbot!

Fidget Spinners… In LEGO!

It seems that the current craze is no longer a local one. The social phenomenon which is that of the fidget spinner is now taking the world by storm, and with it comes a myriad of videos, articles, and posts created by fans all over the world. Just a simple YouTube search about the humble handheld toy will yield almost 8 million results. The sheer number of videos about the topic is simply mind-boggling! LEGO, of course, is quick to jump on the bandwagon with their very own version of the highly popularized toy. As of to date, the company has released seven (7) versions of their official LEGO Fidget Spinner which you can easily make and modify with any LEGO pieces that you might have. Take a look at the building instructions below and see if you can make one. Click on the links to download the instructions in pdf format.

Standard LEGO Fidget Spinner #1

Standard LEGO Fidget Spinner #2

LEGO Classic Red Fidget Spinner #1

LEGO Classic Blue Fidget Spinner #2

LEGO Technic Fidget Spinner #1 (Simple)

LEGO Technic Fidget Spinner #2 (Medium)

LEGO Technic Fidget Spinner #3 (Complex)

Though their ‘official’ versions may not be that appealing to most, it provides the rudimentary building techniques that one can use in making their own unique LEGO fidget spinners. I guess one of the reasons why these fidget spinners are so popular is the fact that they offer virtually unlimited customizations, especially when they are made of LEGO pieces. In fact, if you need more inspiration in making your own LEGO spinners, Tyler has come up with several suggestions that you can build yourselves. He even went as far as creating themes around these fidget spinners, taking inspiration from both sides of the superhero fence: from DCEU’s Justice League and MCU’s Avengers.

Check out Tyler’s videos below.

How to Make 6 Different LEGO Fidget Spinners.

LEGO Justice League Fidget Spinners

LEGO Avengers Fidget Spinners

I like how Tyler was able to capture every JL and Avengers character in these LEGO spinners. His clever use of color combinations and hero icons make these fidget spinners highly recognizable. My personal favorites are the Batman and Wonder Woman-themed spinners.

Do you have other LEGO-inspired fidget spinners that you like to share? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Facebook page and join in the discussion.

Take a Look at Some of the Highlights of the LEGO Store’s July Calendar.

Next month’s LEGO Store Calendar is now up, with all the events and promotions focused on testing your creativity with several building challenges both for kids and adult fans of the brick. Starting July 1, the largest LEGO Minecraft set ever made, the LEGO Minecraft Mountain Cave (21137), will be available for purchase to the general public, while VIPs get an early chance of having the next, exclusive LEGO D2C. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of the LEGO Store’s July Store activities and promotionals.

July 1-31: Weekly Building Challenges.

Starting every Monday of July, LEGO Stores will introduce a new build activity. Participants will have the bragging rights of having their creation displayed in store for everyone to see. By participating, you also get to bring home a weekly Take Home Build Challenge leaflet with building tips and a LEGO Life mobile app building challenge to take part in.

July 1 onwards: Get the new and exclusive LEGO Minecraft Mountain Cave (21137) set.

Said to be the largest LEGO Minecraft set ever made coming in at 2,863 pieces, the Mountain Cave will be exclusively available both at LEGO’s in-store and online retail facilities for $249.99.

July 1-4: Double VIP Points on all purchases.

Earn twice the VIP points when you make your next purchase either at shop.LEGO.com or in-store during these dates.

July 1-16: Exclusive Adult LEGO BrickHeadz Wonder Woman Build Event.

Be one of the first 80 people to make a $75 purchase in any LEGO Store between July 1-16, 2017 to register for an exclusive BrickHeadz Wonder Woman build event. Take note that only 1 registration slot is allowed per $75 purchase per person. This exclusive building event is open for participants 18 years old and above and will take place between July 17-31.

July 10-31: Free Mini Piggy Bank (40251) set for every purchase of $75 or more, while supplies last.

Valued at $15, this LEGO Creator freebie also comes as a 3-in-1 set, which you can also change to either a mouse or a dog or panda of sorts.

July 11-12: Free VIP Monthly Mini Model Build – Octopus.

Registration starts on June 15. To reserve a spot, visit shop.LEGO.com/Minibuild-Registration.

July 14 & 28: Family Game Night.

Get a chance to try out the What Am I? (40161) and LEGO Chess (40174) sets, and if you decide to buy them in-store, you get 50% off just for participating. Pretty cool, right?

July 17-31: VIPs get early access to a new exclusive LEGO set.

This one is completely under the wraps, so we just have to wait patiently for any info on this. Some has guessed it to be another LEGO Creator Expert set, being consistent with LEGO’s focus on the Creator and Classic themes for the month of July. What do you think this will be?

If you’re planning your next LEGO purchase during this month, specially taking advantage of the VIP points and freebies, be sure to check out some of the latest LEGO Creator sets around such as the Space Shuttle Explorer (31066), Modular Poolside Holiday (31067), and the lovely Fairground themed, Carousel (10257).

LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 Bonus Giant-Man Minifigure Officially Announced.

WB Games and Travellers Tales have recently announced a live web feed of the events that will happen at their booth, during next week’s E3, and this time, to level up the excitement on their highly anticipated video game sequel, LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2, Arthur Parsons of TT Games shares some interesting info on about the freebies that are bundled together with the game.

Marvel.com sat down with Parsons for an interview, and in the process has officially revealed that the Deluxe Edition of the game will come with a free Giant-Man minifigure. If you recall, it was already rumored a few weeks ago that LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 will be bundled with an exclusive minifig version of Marvel’s Hank Pym. As it turned out, the rumors were eventually true.

Though not all of us will agree that having the classic version of Giant-Man included as a freebie may not be the best choice to promote the game, Parsons revealed that the digital version of Giant-Man will a have ‘huge’ role in the game’s storyline.

Marvel.com: What can you tell us about this expanded role in the sequel’s story?

Arthur Parsons: His role in the game is tremendously important, and he is definitely a character that brings light relief to some very dramatic and serious scenes throughout the game. He is also a vital part as the game builds to a crescendo, where he works with Tony Stark to open a portal rift to…actually I’m at risk of giving spoilers away here so let’s just stick to the fact that he has a colossal role in the “LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2” story! You’ll have to wait to see just how substantial that role is.

One of Hank Pym’s alter egos, Giant-Man has the ability to alter his size pretty much the same as Ant-Man. Speaking of his abilities in the game, Parsons shared that Giant-Man can go on the offensive and use his size as an advantage, or shrink down to a very minute scale that comes in very handy in solving puzzles and infiltrating mechanisms that other LEGO Marvel characters cannot.

As of to date, the LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 Deluxe Edition is currently available for pre-order at Best Buy and we still yet to see if this will also be offered by other retailers. The Deluxe Edition comes with a Season Pass, exclusive access to the Classic Guardians of the Galaxy Character Pack, and of course, the Giant-Man minifigure. The game will be released on November 14 and retails at $74.99.

Is There More to LEGO Dimensions After Wave 9?

The grandest gaming event of the year is just around the corner. The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is set to kick off in Los Angeles starting June 13 next week, and for LEGO gaming fans out there (including us here in the Brick Show), it means three days of exciting game reveals and announcements that will define the course of video gaming throughout the year. As I mentioned during my previous post, WB Games seem to be in high spirits when, for the first time ever, it announced a live broadcast feed on the happenings that will take place in its booth during the course of E3’s 3-day programming. They have already released their programming schedule as published on their website specifically for the event, and through WB Games’ official Twitter page as you can see below.

#WBGamesLive is bringing this year’s #E3 directly to fans across the world via video streaming! Tune in next week: https://t.co/WMa3MV7dQR pic.twitter.com/8ygGt5SD7A

— WB Games (@wbgames) June 6, 2017

Though a significant portion of WB Games’ air time is dedicated to their latest LEGO video game titles, 3 out of 5 actually, I couldn’t help but feel that somehow, it lacked the luster of last year’s promotion particularly when it comes to LEGO Dimensions. If you recall, WB Games was on full throttle last year when it unveiled 20 additional licenses to its already expanding LEGO Dimensions universe. Needless to say, it was a very exciting moment for the toys-to-life genre, even in the midst of drawbacks prompted by Disney Infinity’s cancellation.

However, now that almost a year has passed since WB Games’ reveal of LEGO Dimensions’ Year 2 sets, it seems that there is a looming cloud of uncertainty over the future of this series. To be fair, if LEGO and WB Games have decided to include LEGO Dimensions as one of its program highlights during E3 (which they obviously did), then probably there is a really good reason to do so. Top brass may have deemed LD worthy of another spot under the E3 limelight. But given the recent fuss over Dimensions’ rumored cancellation, one can’t help but be a little skeptical about what will be revealed during next week’s E3.

Another source of doubt on the future of LEGO Dimensions comes from the evidently late release of Year 2’s final wave of sets. Originally planned for a March, 2017 release, Wave 9’s public debut got pushed back for another 3 months and will be released in September 12, which was, quite intriguingly, the month when the first wave of Year 2 sets were released. Learning from experience, this obvious delay is not usually a good sign for game titles.

Introduced a week ago, LEGO Dimensions Wave 9 includes the anticipated Team and Fun Packs of Teen Titans GO!, Powerpuff Girls, and Beetlejuice. Here’s the press release, including Wave 9’s official photos in case you missed it.

Players that purchase the Teen Titans Go! Team Pack or Fun Pack will get access to an exclusive, original animated episode detailing the Super Heroes foray into the LEGO Dimensions multiverse.

LEGO® Dimensions™ Expansion Packs Based on Teen Titans Go!
The Powerpuff Girls and Beetlejuice Announced for September Release

Teen Titans Go! Packs Access Exclusive, Bonus Animated Episode

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced five highly collectable, new expansion packs for LEGO Dimensions, the LEGO toy and videogame hybrid, will be available on September 12, 2017. Team and Fun Packs based on Cartoon Network’s animated series, Teen Titans Go! and The Powerpuff Girls, plus a Beetlejuice Fun Pack, will broaden the selection of the world’s most popular entertainment brands available for the game, allowing players to customize their experience by mixing and matching favorite characters and universes with full compatibility.

Players that purchase either Teen Titans Go! expansion pack can access an exclusive, original animated episode to discover how the vibrant team of teenage Super Heroes stumbled upon the LEGO Dimensions multiverse and embarked on hilarious, heroic adventures with new friends.

The Teen Titans Go! Team Pack, includes LEGO minifigures of the DC Super Hero team Raven and Beast Boy. It also features the 3-in-1 T-Car which can be rebuilt into the Forklift and T-Plane for out of this world adventures by air and sea. Players can transform the Spellbook of Azarath into Raven Wings and the Giant Hand to take flight and dig through the earth for adventures above and beyond this universe.

The Teen Titans Go! Fun Pack includes a Starfire LEGO minifigure. Players can unleash her special abilities to battle enemies and solve puzzles. Players can also build the 3-in-1 Titan Robot for a roller-coaster fun-filled adventure and then rebuild it into the T-Rocket or Robot Retriever for an even more supercharged adventure with the rest of the Titans gang.

Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire each provide access to the Teen Titans Go! Adventure World in Jump City where players can explore several psychedelic areas from the Titans Tower to Wacka Doodles Amusement Park.

Players can bring Townsville to LEGO Dimensions with The Powerpuff Girls Team Pack which includes LEGO minifigures of the super-powered sisters, Blossom and Bubbles. For access to additional special abilities, the 3-in-1 Octi can be rebuilt into the Super Skunk or Sonic Squid, and the PPG Smartphone can be rebuilt into the PPG Hotline and Powerpuff Mag-Net.

The Powerpuff Girls Fun Pack includes a Buttercup LEGO minifigure. Players can use this cherished champion of justice to fight crime and come just in time with supercool superpowers. The 3-in-1 Mega Blast Bot can be rebuild into the Ka-Pow Cannon and Slammin’ Guitar to rock extra-awesome combat abilities.

Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup each provide access to The Powerpuff Girls Adventure World where players can unlock iconic locations like Pokey Oaks elementary, Rainbow Land, and Professor Utonium’s lab. When competition beckons, players can go head-to-head in the Battle Arena for endless fun.

The Beetlejuice Fun Pack brings some spookiness to LEGO Dimensions with a Beetlejuice LEGO minifigure. Players can activate his supernatural powers to scare away the living. Saturn’s Sandworm can rebuild it into the Haunted Vacuum and Spooky Spider for more ghostly powers. Beetlejuice also unlocks the exclusive Adventure World and Battle Arena.

I sincerely hope that LEGO and WB Games will reveal a whole new set of Year 3 characters, but then again, only next week’s E3 will finally reveal and hopefully put to rest, all speculations about the future of LEGO dimensions. So what do you think brick fans, is this eventually the end for LEGO Dimensions? What E3 predictions do you have in mind regarding LEGO Dimensions and other LEGO video game titles? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Here’s What To Expect From LEGO and WB Games at Next Week’s E3.

It has been a quiet week over at our Brick Show blogsite, and I’m glad to be back with several bits of info that we may have missed during the past days. So I’ll be trying to filter these things to bring you the most important ones that best suit our LEGO fancy.

First off, we now have official confirmation that LEGO will definitely make its presence felt at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, California slated next week from June 13 to 15, thanks to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. For the first time ever, WB Games will be broadcasting live from the heat of the action at the E3’s show floor, specifically from its E3 Booth #1023. We will get a firsthand look at what lies ahead for the latest LEGO video game releases, including LEGO Worlds, LEGO Dimensions, and its most recent offering, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2. Frankly speaking, what interest me the most is WB Games’ expected announcement on the future of LEGO’s toys-to-life genre – LEGO Dimensions. It has been rumored heavily in the past that Dimensions may have probably reached the end of its line and is now close to being cancelled as a series. Hopefully, the events at E3 next week will finally shed light on this matter once and for all.

WB Games’ live broadcast may be viewed starting on June 13 at 9PM (BST) at their official site. They’ve also included a calendar where you can find specific time slots on when these video games will be featured. I’ve summed them up below for easy reference, followed by WB Games’ official press release courtesy of GamePress and Gamasutra.

LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2

Day 1, June 13 – 4:15AM – 4:35AM MPST
Day 2, June 14 – 2:45AM – 3:05AM MPST
Day 3, June 15 – 2:45AM – 3:05AM MPST

LEGO Worlds

Day 1, June 13 – 4:35AM – 4:55AM MPST
Day 2, June 14 – 3:05AM – 3:25AM MPST
Day 3, June 15 – 3:05AM – 3:25AM MPST

LEGO Dimensions

Day 1, June 13 – 4:55AM – 5:15AM MPST
Day 2, June 14 – 3:25AM – 3:45AM MPST
Day 3, June 15 – 3:25AM – 3:45AM MPST

First Ever WB Games Live! E3 Streaming Event Lets Fans Everywhere Join the Fun

This year, fans everywhere are invited to tune-in to the WB Games Live! streaming event from the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) show floor. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced that for the first time it will be broadcasting live from its E3 booth, South Hall, #1023, for its first ever WB Games Live! event. Coming straight from the Los Angeles Convention Centre, the event will be streamed throughout the days of the show, 13th-15th of June, and can be viewed at http://live.wbgames.com.

WB Games Live! will give gamers and fans who are not able to attend E3 the chance to join in and take part in the excitement of the show. Those who tune-in will be treated to live gameplay demos, discussions with world renowned game developers and surprise guests, as well as cosplay contests. They will also be able to enter for online giveaways and prizes.

WB Games Live! will stream during the dates and times below. Fans can visit http://live.wbgames.com now for a full schedule of events.

Tuesday, 13 th June: 9:00 p.m. – 1:40 a.m BST

Wednesday 14 th June: 7.30 p.m. – 12:40 a.m BST

Thursday 15 th June: 7.30 p.m. – 12:40 a.m BST

The video game titles that will be featured in the WB Games Live! show include:

Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™

Injustice™ 2

LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2

LEGO® Worlds

LEGO® Dimensions

Will keep you posted on the latest LEGO video games updates and happenings once E3 finally kicks in next week, so be sure to keep tabs with us here at the Brick Show.

“If You’re Looking for Accommodation, We’ve Got Some Nice, Cozy, Hobbit-Sized Rooms Available”.

Tyler is back with another ‘wish set’ and this time, from the epic film series, Lord of the Rings. If you’ve missed his earlier MOCs that you wish could have been released as official LEGO sets, be sure to check his 3,000-piece, UCS style GOTG Milano and Star Wars The Last Jedi Resistance Skimmer. Based on J.L. Tolkien’s classic books, The Lord of the Rings is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated film adaptations of all time. It has a storyline so rich in imagery and fast-paced action that it is kind of hard to put down your finger and choose what particular scene is the best. One particular scene in the first LOTR film, The Fellowship of the Ring, shows the band of Hobbits led by Frodo seeking shelter in an inn where they eventually came across Aragorn or otherwise known as Strider at that time. Called as the Prancing Pony, the inn has established a name in itself as a popular pub and stopover for weary travelers. This is also the place where Frodo first unwittingly used the Ring and caused quite a commotion.

This time, Tyler has rendered this scene in LEGO bricks, complete with all the important details, characters and play features that surely make it as a must have, LEGO ‘wish list’ set. So let’s take a look.

https://player.zype.com/embed/5926017f212153152a000944.html?app_key=aknKS-sRR2pKtUI6dVg9DxLWddMD3RnVUMXhGSADiDE0RNNUMzN3NRuPwYN7IUqr&autoplay=true

As always, Tyler outdid himself again with this LEGO LOTR Prancing Pony ‘set’, with all its subtle details and use of clever building techniques. From the Prancing Pony signage piece (less the stickers), to the nice details on the windows and lattices, everything is spot-on in such a relatively small scale.

Same as his previous videos, Tyler was kind enough to show and teach some building techniques in creating this set, particularly on how he managed to create the angled window roofs of the Prancing Pony using Technic parts.

Of course, like any other LEGO sets, the Prancing Pony set comes with a couple of play features, especially on the inside. Turning around, you’ll see all the significant parts of the inn perfectly conveyed in their miniature LEGO form. It has detachable stairs, a table with several nice details such as a goblet, candlestick, and a pint, and of course the bartender’s area where Butterbur served the young masters. Upstairs, you also get to see the bedrooms as included in that particular scene: one on the left where Aragorn kept watch over the ghostly Ringwraiths, and the other featuring a Hobbit-sized bed.

And finally, we have the minifigures! This is one LEGO wishlist set that is a sure winner in terms of the minifigs included with it, if ever LEGO officially made it as an official set. It comes with all four, young Hobbits (Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam), Aragorn, Butterbur the bartender, and two shadowy Ringwraiths. In case you want to know, you can get all these LOTR minifigs from the Attack on Weathertop (9472), The Mines of Moria (9473), and Shelob Attacks (9470) sets.

So what do you think brick fans? Will you pick up this one if ever it becomes an official LEGO Lord of the Rings set? What other LOTR scenes would you like to see rendered in LEGO bricks? Let us know in the comments or head over our Facebook page to join the discussion.

Here’s What To Expect From The Largest LEGO Fan Convention in the Philippines – The Abrickadbra 2017 (Part 1).

Here at the Brick Show, one of our aims is to offer our followers a glimpse of the best and most creative use of the LEGO brick both in the US and across the globe. The appeal of creating something new using LEGO seems to be universal to say the least as evidenced by locally arranged LEGO fan conventions and brick festivals all around the world. Last March, I mentioned in one of my previous posts that the Philippines is getting ready for its largest LEGO fan convention spearheaded by the Philippine LEGO Users Group, or PhLUG. Dubbed as Abrickadabra, the LEGO fan convention showcases the most creative MOCs, both from kids and adults alike, that also cleverly conveys the unique Filipino culture.

Frankly speaking, since the inception of Abrickadabra in 2015, I never had the opportunity of visiting this LEGO fan event for various reasons. So imagine my excitement when I was invited to PhLUG’s mini press event a couple of weeks ago to have an early look at what we can expect from the country’s largest gathering of LEGO fans.

The PhLUG is currently steered by its captain and founder Piper Protacio, who also happens to be the Philippines’ LUG Ambassador. His passion for the LEGO brick is seriously contagious! Speaking in behalf of PhLUG during the mini press event, Piper gave the attendees a glimpse of what will take place on the 27^th as Abrickadabra 2017 kicks in.

First off, a little background about Abrickadabra. Now on its third year, it is PhLUG’s annual LEGO fan convention where original LEGO MOCs, building events, and informative LEGO building techniques are shared and discussed all in an atmosphere of fun and camaraderie. It is by far, the largest LEGO fan convention in the Philippines, followed only by BRICKXhibit which is also organized by PhLUG and held usually in December. Every year, PhLUG strives to make Abrickadbra even better by adding more interactive, hands-on activities that cater not only to children and AFOLs, but to the general public as well. Its overarching goal is to promote the LEGO brick as a medium to channel one’s creativity and to see it not just a mere toy made of ABS plastic.

Piper went on to introduce the cool guys behind PhLUG’s SIGs or sub-interest groups, and on display during the press event were some of the MOCs that will be showcased during Abrickadabra. There are five SIGs under the PhLUG umbrella, namely:

Force Legion, which specializes in Star Wars builds and other vehicles from the galaxy far, far away.

Kingdoms, where medieval kings, pirates, and samurais rule.

Sci-fi, where LEGO artisans give life to sci-fi characters, mechs and Steampunk creations.

Urban, when it’s an urban jungle of LEGO bricks out there.

Versus, where all the brick-built superheroes converge and clash.

Other than the creative minds behind this amazing MOCs, what caught my attention was how dedicated PhLUG is in giving budding LEGO MOCers (if I used the term correctly) a chance to show their creations. I’m glad to hear that more than just being an AFOL event, Abrickadabra also encourages children to create and take pride in their MOCs. Here’s a special shout out to Zion, Manuel and Gero for taking time to share and say something about their original LEGO builds. These kids will be a part of Abrickadabra’s Junior Builders where children age 12 and below will a have a spot in sharing their original LEGO creations. Here’s a sampling of what these kids can do.

To my surprise, present also during the press event was builder Mark Gotidoc whose LEGO Ideas entry, the LEGO Brickheadz Inside Out, was once featured in our list of 7 LEGO Brickheadz MOCs that will win your hearts. It was a pleasure chatting with him and learning more about his LEGO Ideas project. If you wish to support him as well as I do, you may head over at the LEGO Ideas website and cast your vote.

Other event highlights include a Vintage LEGO Corner where well preserved, LEGO classic sets from the 60s till the 80s will be put on display.

Sascha Olik, one of the most prolific LEGO builders in the country, will also be adding fun to the event by exhibiting his original Super Dimension Fortress Macross LEGO creation. The sheer scale and accuracy of this build – weighed in at 11,000 pieces of LEGO bricks – is absolutely stunning.

If these fascinating LEGO creations have piqued your interest for Abrickadabra 2017, then you might be thrilled to know more about the rest of the activities that PhLUG has lined up for this event. I’ll be covering that in my next instalment so be sure to keep tabs with us. So if you happen to be in Manila as you’re reading this, you might as well block your calendar this Saturday and pay a visit at the Promenade Hall in Greenhills, San Juan, Manila. Tickets will be sold at the venue for Php100, or roughly $2 each, and you may follow PhLUG’s official Facebook page for more updates leading to the event.

Special thanks to Piper and Chestnut for the rest of the photos.

LEGO Teams Up With Sainsbury’s to Bring The LEGO Create The World Card Trading Game in the UK.

Here’s another reason to be thankful if you’re a LEGO fan residing in the UK. Since the beginning of this month, LEGO’s partnership with one the country’s largest retail store and supermarket chain, Sainsbury’s, has proven to be quite successful. As an off-shoot of their April LEGO exclusive with the LEGO Creator Create the World (40256) 3-in-1 set, Sainsbury’s launched a collectible trading card tie-in that follows the adventures of minifigures Sam and Lily as they travel around the globe, and learn about its beautiful people, cultures, and landscapes.

Exclusive at Sainsbury’s stores, the LEGO Create the World Collectible Trading Cards features 140 collectible trading cards that you can swap with friends. Mainly intended for KFOLs (Kid Fans of LEGO), the trading cards are roughly divided into two categories: the Minifigure Cards and Create Cards.

The Minifigure Cards, as the name suggests, are based on LEGO’s CMF series, most likely until Series 16. There are 105 Minifigure cards which I suppose to have been selected randomly across the CMF series. Each Minifigure Card also includes a bit of trivia on each of them. The Create Cards, on the other hand, has a metallic look and feel to it, featuring 35 building activity cards. The Create Cards are based on the build suggestions that goes with several LEGO Classic sets such as the Creative Bricks (10692), Creative Supplement (10693), Creative Building Set (10702), Creative Builder Box (10703), Creative Box (10704), Medium Creative Brick Box (10696), Large Creative Brick Box (10698), and Creative Building Basket (10705).

More than just for trading, the Create the World Collectible Cards also offers several classic games that children will love. Using these cards, kids can play Rock, Paper, Scissors by following the symbols found at the upper right hand corner of each Minifigure Card. Each player will draw a certain number of cards and will randomly select from his/her hand and see if s/he has the winning card. Players can tweak the game a bit to suit the number of players, or just be creative with the game’s mechanics.

Kids (and perhaps adults as well) can also play Dominoes using the back side of the cards. If you noticed, each card features two strips of 1×3 LEGO bricks of varying colors on the back. Each player starts with 20 cards each, and places a card face down. The next player then finds a card with a matching LEGO piece to create a 2×3 LEGO brick, the next player does the same, keeping in mind that connected cards should not overlap.

Finally, you have the Create Cards that offer building challenges for players to work with. With LEGO bricks at hand, kids can have hours of fun of figuring out how to create these builds. Players are free to make their own rules and mechanics to create a more engaging and fun game.

Sainsbury’s is giving a pack of 4 cards for free for every single receipt purchase of £10, both online and through their supermarkets. For the collector in you, there is also the option of buying a Booster Card Pack containing 4 cards which sell at 50p/pack. Another welcome add-on is the inclusion of a LEGO Collector’s Album where you can store all 140 cards in the series. It goes for sale at £2 and it features brightly colored pages that show the adventures of Sam and Lily as they trek across the globe.

Since this is clearly a retailer’s promotional exclusive, it is highly unlikely that the LEGO Create the World Collectible Cards will ever reach North America. So if you have friends living in the UK, you may want to recommend that they do their shopping over at Sainsbury, especially that the promo will run only until June 13. You may also check Sainsbury’s website for more details.

So what do you think brick fans? Will you be collecting these cards if given the chance?

Credit goes to Bricks Fans and Brick Finder for the images.

LEGO Russian Online Store May Have Given Us a Peek at How the Luke Skywalker Minifigure Will Look.

After being featured in Vanity Fair’s special Star Wars anniversary issue, the renowned Jedi Master may now probably have his LEGO minifigure version set into stone. LEGO’s Russian online store has posted a relatively intriguing art work celebrating 40 years of Star Wars. What is interesting about this picture is how it conveys the Skywalker timeline in its minifig form. Beginning with the prequels spanning Episodes I to III, followed by the first Star Wars films from Episodes IV to VI, then the culmination of the saga in Episodes VII to IX. Each chapter of the Star Wars storyline is highlighted by the passing of the iconic lightsaber, which concludes with Rey receiving it from Luke himself.

The minifigures featured in this graphic are all included in actual LEGO Star Wars sets beginning Episode I, so imagine the excitement that this picture created when Luke Skywalker is included. Frankly speaking, the minifig itself is similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s minifigure torso and legs, and with slight variations in its color as seen in The LEGO Star Wars Mos Eisley Cantina (75052) set. Luke’s gray, right minifig hand is also a reference to his robotic arm as seen towards the end of The Force Awakens which is really quite hard to miss. Take a look at each of their minifigures below for a better comparison.

Now to be fair, there is still the possibility that we might still see an entirely different TLJ Luke Skywalker minifig. So our safest bet is to wait for the official images to pour in once this year’s Force Friday sets in this September.

Thanks to Hoth Bricks for the tip.